Syringa plant named ‘SMNSPTP’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Syringa  plant named ‘SMNSPTP’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely and remontant flowering habit; large inflorescences with fragrant light purple-colored flowers and dark purplish red-colored flower buds; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Syringa pubescens.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNSPTP’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Syringa plant, commonly referred to as Lilac, botanically known as Syringa pubescens and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMNSPTP’.

The new Syringa plant is plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely-flowering Syringa plants with attractive flowers and remontant flowering habit.

The new Syringa plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2011 of a proprietary selection of Syringa pubescens with the code designation BigPur, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Syringa pubescens with the code designation PkTruss, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Syringa plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 2014 as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Syringa plant by softwood to semi-hardwood cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Syringa plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Syringa have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMNSPTP’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMNSPTP’ as a new and distinct Syringa plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright to outwardly spreading and         mounding plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely and remontant flowering habit.     -   5. Large inflorescences with fragrant light purple-colored         flowers and dark purplish red-colored flower buds.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Syringa can be compared to plants of the female and male selection parents. Plants of the new Syringa differ primarily from plants of the female and male parent selections in flowering habit as plants of the new Syringa are more freely flowering and flower more remontantly than plants of the female and male parent selections.

Plants of the new Syringa can be compared to plants of the Syringa hybrida ‘SMNJRPU’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,831. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Syringa differ primarily from plants of ‘SMNJRPU’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Syringa have larger and denser         inflorescences than plants of ‘SMNJRPU’.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Syringa are lighter purple in         color than flowers of plants of ‘SMNJRPU’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Syringa plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Syringa plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘SMNSPTP’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 ) is a close-up view of a typical flowering typical plant of ‘SMNSPTP’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the following description were grown during the spring in three-gallon containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and in an outdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Syringa production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants of the new Syringa were three years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Syringa pubescens ‘SMNSPTP’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Syringa             pubescens with the code designation BigPur, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Syringa             pubescens with the code designation PkTruss, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             months at temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; relatively             compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant             habit; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth             rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit, about 30 lateral             branches develop per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 55 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 35 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 6 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3 cm.         -   Aspect.—About 45° to 80° from vertical.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Initially slightly pubescent becoming smooth and             glabrous with development.         -   Color, developing.—Close to 144B.         -   Color, developed.—Close to 199B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 2 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.75 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, velvety.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to NN137B; venation, close to NN137B. Developing and             fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B;             venation, close to NN137B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to NN137B tinged with close to 177A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Single salverform             flowers arranged in dense terminal panicles; freely             flowering habit with usually about 500 to 700 flowers             developing per inflorescence; flowers face upright to mostly             outwardly depending on position on inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season and flower longevity.—Plants of the             new Syringa flower during the spring and summer in Michigan;             flowering remontant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Strongly fragrant; fragrance sweet, floral and             pleasant.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 10 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.25 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 1.25 mm.         -   Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 1 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Proximally, oblong and distally, orbicular. Color:             Close to 71A.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Single whorl of four             petals; lower portion of petals fused forming a narrow tube.             Lobe length: About 3 mm. Lobe width: About 2 mm. Lobe shape:             Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; soft. Texture, throat and             tube: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to N75A and towards the             margins, close to 76B; color does not change with subsequent             development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 76B; color does not change with subsequent             development. Throat: Close to 76B. Tube: Close to 76B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Single whorl of four small             sepals; fused towards the base forming a campanulate-shaped             calyx. Length: Less than 1 mm. Width: Less than 1 mm. Shape:             Narrowly deltoid. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 71A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Strength: Strong; somewhat flexible. Aspect: About 90° from             the stem axis. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 177A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong; flexible. Aspect: About 45° from peduncle             axis. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 177A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per             flower: Two; filaments are adnate to the throat. Anther             length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color:             Close to 160A. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color:             Close to 160A. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils per flower:             One. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Style length: About 2 mm.             Style color: Close to 76B. Stigma shape: Oblong to rounded.             Stigma color: Close to 160C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Syringa. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Syringa have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about −31° C. to about 38° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Syringa have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Syringa plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Syringa plant named ‘SMNSPTP’ as illustrated and described. 